The Game of Words

by Willard R. Espy

A collection of amusing examples of acrostics, alliteration, cliches, epigrams, euphemisms, malapropisms, polindromes, and many other plays on words

Genres: Language, Nonfiction

279 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Willard Richardson Espy was a U.S. editor, philologist, writer, and poet.

Reviews

[Charles]

This book is an element of the heavenly bliss for lovers of wordplay. It is generally a collection of items that were first published elsewhere, the acknowledgements run to two full pages. Nearly every form and context of wordplay is used, from puns to satire and from games to inscriptions on tombstones.
Two short favorites refer to the deceased.

On Jonathan Fiddle:
On the 22nd of June Jonathan Fiddle went out of tune.

On Frank Pixley, editor:
Here lies Frank Pixley, as usual. Ambrose Bierce

If all you possess is the barest of interest in wordplay, this is still a book that you will find delightful.

[Linda]

A very interesting book for anyone who wants to know more about the "freakishness and fun of the English language..."

[Rose]

That's 3.5 stars. I definitely enjoyed what I understood. I read it all the way through, but it might serve better as simply a fun coffee table book.

[James Swenson]

There's some interesting wordplay here, but the best part of this book is the foreword. I'd recommend reading that, then leaving your copy on the toilet tank.